Facts

Deontay Wilder vs. Kelvin Price

Wilder, the 2008 Olympic heavyweight bronze medalist from Tuscaloosa, will be fighting for his first professional championship Saturday when he faces undefeated Kelvin Price of Pensacola, Fla., in a 10-round bout that will be televised on Showtime. Wilder will fight Price in a battle of undefeated prospects for the vacant World Boxing Council Continental Americas heavyweight championship, with the winner slated to earn a world ranking. The bout was upgraded to a championship fight this week.

The Wilder-Price fight is expected to be the second of three fights on the Showtime card.

Neither Wilder nor Price are currently world-ranked, although Wilder is rated No. 8 by the United States Boxing Association, No. 11 by the North American Boxing Federation and No. 15 by the North American Boxing Organization, which are regional ranking organizations. Price has the lone victory over once-defeated Tor Hamer, rated as the No. 24 contender in the world by the WBC.

Joe Dwyer, president of the WBC-affiliated NABF, said the WBC has three confederations in the U.S., including the Continental Americas confederation.

“Any one of those three championships has a corresponding rating in the world rankings,” Dwyer said.

The Continental Americas heavyweight championship came into existence in 1979. Past champions of note include Michael Dokes, Leon Spinks, Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, James Toney, Michael Moorer, Tony Thomspon and Chris Arreola – all of whom went on to hold or challenge for the heavyweight championship. Notable challengers for the belt include Trevor Berbick, Randall “Tex” Cobb, Alex Stewart, Bert Coooper, Tim Witherspoon and Thomas Hearns.

Chauncy Welliver won the title in March, 2010, and defended it seven times through May 5 of this year, but has not defended it since and has vacated the title.

Wilder will be fighting for the sixth time in 2012. He knocked out Damon McCreary in two rounds in California in his most recent outing in September. He stopped Kertson Manswell in Mobile in August on a night when he was originally scheduled to fight Price, who pulled out with a rib injury sustained in training. In June he stopped former world title challenger Owen Beck in three rounds in Tuscaloosa. He knocked out Jesse Oltmanns in the first round in May in Cancun, Mexico, and defeated Marlon Hayes by fourth-round technical knockout in St. Louis in February.

Price has only fought once this year, winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Arron Lyons in Biloxi, Miss.

<p>LOS ANGELES | The stakes have been raised for the biggest fight of Deontay Wilder's professional boxing career.</p><p>Wilder, the 2008 Olympic heavyweight bronze medalist from Tuscaloosa, will be fighting for his first professional championship Saturday when he faces undefeated Kelvin Price of Pensacola, Fla., in a 10-round bout that will be televised on Showtime. Wilder will fight Price in a battle of undefeated prospects for the vacant World Boxing Council Continental Americas heavyweight championship, with the winner slated to earn a world ranking. The bout was upgraded to a championship fight this week.</p><p>The Wilder-Price fight is expected to be the second of three fights on the Showtime card.</p><p>Neither Wilder nor Price are currently world-ranked, although Wilder is rated No. 8 by the United States Boxing Association, No. 11 by the North American Boxing Federation and No. 15 by the North American Boxing Organization, which are regional ranking organizations. Price has the lone victory over once-defeated Tor Hamer, rated as the No. 24 contender in the world by the WBC.</p><p>Joe Dwyer, president of the WBC-affiliated NABF, said the WBC has three confederations in the U.S., including the Continental Americas confederation.</p><p>“Any one of those three championships has a corresponding rating in the world rankings,” Dwyer said.</p><p>The Continental Americas heavyweight championship came into existence in 1979. Past champions of note include Michael Dokes, Leon Spinks, Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, James Toney, Michael Moorer, Tony Thomspon and Chris Arreola – all of whom went on to hold or challenge for the heavyweight championship. Notable challengers for the belt include Trevor Berbick, Randall “Tex” Cobb, Alex Stewart, Bert Coooper, Tim Witherspoon and Thomas Hearns.</p><p>Chauncy Welliver won the title in March, 2010, and defended it seven times through May 5 of this year, but has not defended it since and has vacated the title.</p><p>Wilder will be fighting for the sixth time in 2012. He knocked out Damon McCreary in two rounds in California in his most recent outing in September. He stopped Kertson Manswell in Mobile in August on a night when he was originally scheduled to fight Price, who pulled out with a rib injury sustained in training. In June he stopped former world title challenger Owen Beck in three rounds in Tuscaloosa. He knocked out Jesse Oltmanns in the first round in May in Cancun, Mexico, and defeated Marlon Hayes by fourth-round technical knockout in St. Louis in February.</p><p>Price has only fought once this year, winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Arron Lyons in Biloxi, Miss.</p>